Contact with nonvenomous marine animal (W56) ICD-10-CM
The W56 code range covers contact with nonvenomous marine animal with 92 ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes. 63 of them are billable and valid for claim submission in fiscal year 2026, and the category headers group them but cannot themselves be billed.
Type 1 Excludes
A type 1 excludes note is a pure excludes note. It means "NOT CODED HERE!" An Excludes1 note indicates that the code excluded should never be used at the same time as the code above the Excludes1 note. An Excludes1 is used when two conditions cannot occur together, such as a congenital form versus an acquired form of the same condition.
- contact with venomous marine animal T63
7th Character Note
Certain ICD-10-CM categories have applicable 7th characters. The applicable 7th character is required for all codes within the category, or as the notes in the Tabular List instruct. The 7th character must always be the 7th character in the data field. If a code that requires a 7th character is not 6 characters, a placeholder X must be used to fill in the empty characters.
- The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category W56
7th Character
Indicates that a seventh character is to be assigned to codes in a subcategory.
- A - initial encounter
- D - subsequent encounter
- S - sequela
Codes in the W56 Range 92 codes · 63 billable
- W56 Contact with nonvenomous marine animalNon-billable
- W56.0 Contact with dolphinNon-billable
- W56.01 Bitten by dolphinNon-billable
- W56.01XA Bitten by dolphin, initial encounter
- W56.01XD Bitten by dolphin, subsequent encounter
- W56.01XS Bitten by dolphin, sequela
- W56.02 Struck by dolphinNon-billable
- W56.02XA Struck by dolphin, initial encounter
- W56.02XD Struck by dolphin, subsequent encounter
- W56.02XS Struck by dolphin, sequela
- W56.09 Other contact with dolphinNon-billable
- W56.09XA Other contact with dolphin, initial encounter
- W56.09XD Other contact with dolphin, subsequent encounter
- W56.09XS Other contact with dolphin, sequela
- W56.1 Contact with sea lionNon-billable
- W56.11 Bitten by sea lionNon-billable
- W56.11XA Bitten by sea lion, initial encounter
- W56.11XD Bitten by sea lion, subsequent encounter
- W56.11XS Bitten by sea lion, sequela
- W56.12 Struck by sea lionNon-billable
- W56.12XA Struck by sea lion, initial encounter
- W56.12XD Struck by sea lion, subsequent encounter
- W56.12XS Struck by sea lion, sequela
- W56.19 Other contact with sea lionNon-billable
- W56.19XA Other contact with sea lion, initial encounter
- W56.19XD Other contact with sea lion, subsequent encounter
- W56.19XS Other contact with sea lion, sequela
- W56.2 Contact with orcaNon-billable
- W56.21 Bitten by orcaNon-billable
- W56.21XA Bitten by orca, initial encounter
- W56.21XD Bitten by orca, subsequent encounter
- W56.21XS Bitten by orca, sequela
- W56.22 Struck by orcaNon-billable
- W56.22XA Struck by orca, initial encounter
- W56.22XD Struck by orca, subsequent encounter
- W56.22XS Struck by orca, sequela
- W56.29 Other contact with orcaNon-billable
- W56.29XA Other contact with orca, initial encounter
- W56.29XD Other contact with orca, subsequent encounter
- W56.29XS Other contact with orca, sequela
- W56.3 Contact with other marine mammalsNon-billable
- W56.31 Bitten by other marine mammalsNon-billable
- W56.31XA Bitten by other marine mammals, initial encounter
- W56.31XD Bitten by other marine mammals, subsequent encounter
- W56.31XS Bitten by other marine mammals, sequela
- W56.32 Struck by other marine mammalsNon-billable
- W56.32XA Struck by other marine mammals, initial encounter
- W56.32XD Struck by other marine mammals, subsequent encounter
- W56.32XS Struck by other marine mammals, sequela
- W56.39 Other contact with other marine mammalsNon-billable
- W56.39XA Other contact with other marine mammals, initial encounter
- W56.39XD Other contact with other marine mammals, subsequent encounter
- W56.39XS Other contact with other marine mammals, sequela
- W56.4 Contact with sharkNon-billable
- W56.41 Bitten by sharkNon-billable
- W56.41XA Bitten by shark, initial encounter
- W56.41XD Bitten by shark, subsequent encounter
- W56.41XS Bitten by shark, sequela
- W56.42 Struck by sharkNon-billable
- W56.42XA Struck by shark, initial encounter
- W56.42XD Struck by shark, subsequent encounter
- W56.42XS Struck by shark, sequela
- W56.49 Other contact with sharkNon-billable
- W56.49XA Other contact with shark, initial encounter
- W56.49XD Other contact with shark, subsequent encounter
- W56.49XS Other contact with shark, sequela
- W56.5 Contact with other fishNon-billable
- W56.51 Bitten by other fishNon-billable
- W56.51XA Bitten by other fish, initial encounter
- W56.51XD Bitten by other fish, subsequent encounter
- W56.51XS Bitten by other fish, sequela
- W56.52 Struck by other fishNon-billable
- W56.52XA Struck by other fish, initial encounter
- W56.52XD Struck by other fish, subsequent encounter
- W56.52XS Struck by other fish, sequela
- W56.59 Other contact with other fishNon-billable
- W56.59XA Other contact with other fish, initial encounter
- W56.59XD Other contact with other fish, subsequent encounter
- W56.59XS Other contact with other fish, sequela
- W56.8 Contact with other nonvenomous marine animalsNon-billable
- W56.81 Bitten by other nonvenomous marine animalsNon-billable
- W56.81XA Bitten by other nonvenomous marine animals, initial encounter
- W56.81XD Bitten by other nonvenomous marine animals, subsequent encounter
- W56.81XS Bitten by other nonvenomous marine animals, sequela
- W56.82 Struck by other nonvenomous marine animalsNon-billable
- W56.82XA Struck by other nonvenomous marine animals, initial encounter
- W56.82XD Struck by other nonvenomous marine animals, subsequent encounter
- W56.82XS Struck by other nonvenomous marine animals, sequela
- W56.89 Other contact with other nonvenomous marine animalsNon-billable
- W56.89XA Other contact with other nonvenomous marine animals, initial encounter
- W56.89XD Other contact with other nonvenomous marine animals, subsequent encounter
- W56.89XS Other contact with other nonvenomous marine animals, sequela
About the W56 Code Range
The ICD-10 code section W56 is used to classify injuries or effects resulting from contact with nonvenomous marine animals. This section includes a range of codes specifying the type of marine animal involved and the nature of the contact, such as bites, strikes, or other interactions.
This code set captures incidents involving animals like dolphins, sea lions, orcas, other marine mammals (including seal bite wounds), sharks (including shark bites), and various fish such as moray eels or piranhas. It also covers less common contacts with marine creatures like fire sponges or mollusks, which may cause skin reactions or dermatoses. For example, the ICD-10 code for dolphin bites is W56.01, while W56.31XA covers bites from other marine mammals, helping coders accurately document initial and subsequent encounters or sequelae from such injuries. These detailed codes assist healthcare providers in precisely identifying and recording the cause and progression of injuries caused by marine animals, supporting proper treatment and medical reporting.
Questions About This Page
How many billable codes are in the W56 range?
Of the 92 codes in this range, 63 are billable and valid for claim submission from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Category header codes group them but cannot be reported on claims.
What does the W56 range classify?
The range classifies contact with nonvenomous marine animal. Each code links to its own reference page with billing status, MS-DRG grouping, coding notes, and clinical information.
Related References
Source: CMS FY 2026 ICD-10-CM Tabular List and order file, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.
